The Ha Long cherry blossom festival 2016 will open in 30/10 Square, Ha Long city in the northern province of Quang Ninh on March 18, indulging visitors in a sea of pale pink and white blooms brought by Japan.

 VietNamNet Bridge – There is still a gap between the laws protecting Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender (LGBT) rights and public opinion towards LGBT folks in Viet Nam,

 Vietnam Airlines’ spokesperson Le Hoang Dung said the national flag carrier was planning to privatise VASCO - Vietnam Air Services Company.

 The Binh Duong International Women's Cycling Tournament – Biwase Cup 2016 – kicked off in the southern province of Binh Duong on March 8.

 Vietnam hopes the Thai Ministry of Defence and War Veterans Association will share information relating to Vietnamese fallen soldiers and those missing in action during wartime in areas along the Cambodia-Thailand border.

 President Truong Tan Sang left Hanoi on March 8, heading to Tanzania, Mozambique and Iran for State visits from March 9-15.

  International integration is a consistent focus in Vietnam’s foreign policy at present and in the coming years, Deputy Foreign Minister Bui Thanh Son asserted.

 Vietnam and Azerbaijan have officially established cooperation in legal and judicial affairs.

VietNamNet Bridge - Though Vietnam has fulfilled the procedures and paperwork related to plant quarantines in order to enter new markets, many countries are still slow to accept Vietnam’s products. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Dang Thai Son, one of the world's leading pianists, has returned to Viet Nam to perform in two concerts on Wednesday and Thursday at the Ha Noi Opera House.

 VietNamNet Bridge – The Ram Temple in Hung Chau commune in Hung Nguyen district of Nghe An province is praised as the pinnacle of the Vietnamese folk wood carving art in the late 17th century.

Foreign investors have been flocking to Vietnam as they can see great opportunities here. Vietnam needs to use the right to choose investors in the best way so as to fully exploit foreign direct investment (FDI), experts say.

 Lumitel, a subsidiary of Vietnam’s military-run telecommunications group Viettel in Burundi, has become the first 4G LTE service provider in the African country. 

 VietNamNet Bridge – Thanh Hoa Province leader Trinh Van Chien apologised yesterday to the residents of Sam Son Township for authorities’ actions after local fishermen protested for 10 days against a tourism project.

A well-known Chinese actress, Jing Tian has arrived in Hanoi to join King Kong film crew who are shooting in NinhBinh province.

The Finnish Information Security Cluster, the Vietnamese Security Network, the Vietnam Information Security Association and the CMC Corporation on March 7 signed an MoU on cooperation in information technology, especially in information security.

 Jr. NBA, the NBA’s global youth development programme that promotes basketball participation and an active lifestyle among children, has returned to Vietnam for the third consecutive year beginning March 5.

 Vietnam suffered yet another heavy defeat on March 7 at the AFC Women’s Olympic Football Tournament Rio 2016 qualifier, losing 6-1 to hosts Japan in a game where the only prize was honour.

VietNamNet Bridge – Since 2010, the FDI from China has skyrocketed, from a few hundred million US dollars to several billion US dollars.

 Mekong Delta farmers are struggling with the worst water shortages and saltwater intrusion in nearly a century.